Have you ever visited Cape Town? Seen Table Mountain, Robben Island, Cape Point, Penguin colonies, Baboons, Kirstenbosch gardens, Informal settlements…and yes…the “street children”…but lets not talk about them… Cape Town is beautiful, It is still one of my favourite places. Yet, the reality of life for many is far from the idyllic life we experience as we visit for a couple of weeks and move on. If you live there, and of course in many other places in the world, you cannot avoid the “Street kids”. We see them, lying around, begging at the robots (traffic lights), causing trouble…right?? We see them, but we move on…

When I lived in Muizenberg (a suburb of Cape Town), I will admit I never knew how to react to the “street kids”, it was not a natural thing for me to just chat with them. I hated walking…or driving past them… but what can we do? I didn’t want to hand over money because of where it would go… What can be done? How should we respond?

I wonder how many of us know the complexity of the situation of “street children” in society, within South Africa? We are quick to judge, and slow to understand!

Out of Manenberg is a new venture, a movie, with the aim to highlight the complexity of the situation of “street children” in Cape Town and the broader South Africa. Many children living on the streets have been “allowed” by society to live there; though they may come from difficult situations and various problems at home, the children often are not as much running away from home as they are running to the streets. Out of Manenberg the movie will allow many people to see this complexity, first hand, following a child from his community to the streets and beyond.

Out of Manenberg is the story of a young boy named Jerome, trying to find his feet and his own path towards his future, in a “new” South Africa, fresh out of Apartheid. Surrounded by gangsterism, unemployment, and poverty, Jerome decides to escape his reality and get out of Manenberg. He runs to the streets of the Central Business District of Cape Town where he finds camaraderie, excitement, and a new way of life. After a few years of partaking in street life, Jerome gets arrested and sent to a juvenile facility. It is there where he finds his true love, and a positive way forward through boxing. Jerome makes it out of the juvenile facility as a skilled boxer and a rehabilitated young man, but on a visit to Manenberg he learns how difficult it truly can be to get out of Manenberg…for good.

This venture/movie has been initiated by my friend Ryan “Brown” Dalton, who recently spent 16 days living on the streets of Cape Town with the kids as part of his 16…rather 365 days of activism. I have alot of respect for Ryan…for his initiative…his passion…understanding…he is someone who not only speaks out his message, but lives it.

I encourage you to check out this project, and to consider supporting it. It is a huge challenge, to have such a vision, and to see it come to fruition. If you are like me, and struggle to know what you can do, this is something you can act upon… Ryan is trying to get 1 million people to give just $1 to help make this venture a reality and get the message of the abuse of children to the forefront. Let’s act!

Out of Manenberg website – click here
To read more check out 365 days of Activism and this article which has a snippet of the 1st chapter of “Out of Manenberg”

Related posts:

1. 365 Days of Activism – Rapper takes to the streets (A news 24.com article)
2. 365 Days of Activism – These Streets
3. Good News from Africa